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<p>Student achievement motivation has traditionally been examined through an intrapersonal lens, emphasizing self-related processes and constructs such as self-efficacy, task interest and values, achievement goals, and attributional beliefs. Although these approaches have substantially advanced understanding of student motivation, they are largely grounded in an independent conception of the self, assuming that motivation originates from internal attributes and is enacted through personal agency. Accumulating evidence, however, points to the need for an interpersonal framework that more fully foregrounds the sociocultural origins of motivation. This paper advances an interdependent-self perspective, positioning interpersonal relationships, role obligations, and cultural norms as central motivational forces. Drawing on contemporary theorizing about independent and interdependent self-construals, the paper synthesizes research that examines how social influences shape student motivation. From an independent-self standpoint, parents, teachers, and peers are conceptualized as external to the student and are typically viewed as either (a) <i>socializing agents</i> who shape students’ beliefs, values, and goals, or (b) <i>supporting agents</i> who nurture students’ competence, autonomy, and relatedness. In contrast, an interdependent-self framework views significant social agents as constitutive of the self and articulates three motivational process approaches: (a) a <i>parallel</i> approach, in which independently and interdependently oriented motivations operate simultaneously, each exerting distinct yet complementary influences on student engagement; (b) a <i>sequential</i> approach, in which interdependently oriented motivation functions as a motivational precursor, predicting engagement both directly and indirectly through independently oriented motivation; and (c) an <i>integrated</i> approach, in which self and others are fundamentally intertwined and motivation is inherently personal and social, grounded in shared agency as students act “out of our interest” to pursue collectively meaningful goals. By integrating independent- and interdependent-self perspectives, this paper advances a socially grounded, culturally inclusive, and globally relevant framework for understanding student motivation, with implications for theory, research, and practice.</p>

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Toward an Interpersonal Theory of Academic Motivation: Rethinking Student Agency Through an Interdependent-Self Lens

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月17日

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  • Gregory Arief D. Liem

摘要

Student achievement motivation has traditionally been examined through an intrapersonal lens, emphasizing self-related processes and constructs such as self-efficacy, task interest and values, achievement goals, and attributional beliefs. Although these approaches have substantially advanced understanding of student motivation, they are largely grounded in an independent conception of the self, assuming that motivation originates from internal attributes and is enacted through personal agency. Accumulating evidence, however, points to the need for an interpersonal framework that more fully foregrounds the sociocultural origins of motivation. This paper advances an interdependent-self perspective, positioning interpersonal relationships, role obligations, and cultural norms as central motivational forces. Drawing on contemporary theorizing about independent and interdependent self-construals, the paper synthesizes research that examines how social influences shape student motivation. From an independent-self standpoint, parents, teachers, and peers are conceptualized as external to the student and are typically viewed as either (a) socializing agents who shape students’ beliefs, values, and goals, or (b) supporting agents who nurture students’ competence, autonomy, and relatedness. In contrast, an interdependent-self framework views significant social agents as constitutive of the self and articulates three motivational process approaches: (a) a parallel approach, in which independently and interdependently oriented motivations operate simultaneously, each exerting distinct yet complementary influences on student engagement; (b) a sequential approach, in which interdependently oriented motivation functions as a motivational precursor, predicting engagement both directly and indirectly through independently oriented motivation; and (c) an integrated approach, in which self and others are fundamentally intertwined and motivation is inherently personal and social, grounded in shared agency as students act “out of our interest” to pursue collectively meaningful goals. By integrating independent- and interdependent-self perspectives, this paper advances a socially grounded, culturally inclusive, and globally relevant framework for understanding student motivation, with implications for theory, research, and practice.